The Camp Fire Girls by Howard Roger Garis

The Camp Fire Girls; or, The Secret of an Old Mill opens with a spirited gathering of girls and boys, playful mock-Indian names, and excited talk of summer camping at Green Lake, only to be unsettled by the arrival of a Gypsy fortune-teller. When Hadee's eerie predictions are followed by the disappearance of Mrs. Anderson's diamond ring, suspicion falls at once, and the mystery deepens into a fast-moving chase. Phil, Jack, and Blake rush toward the Gypsy camp in the dark, while the girls quietly head for Bear Pond, hoping to beat them there and uncover the truth first. What follows is a tense night march through rain, forest, and confusion, where the Camp Fire Girls are forced to rely on courage, loyalty, and practical leadership. Mrs. Bonnell steadies them with calm authority as they build a fire, share their last food, and push on after an unfriendly farmhouse offers no help. Exhausted and nearly lost, they press through the storm until a cry in the woods reveals the boys at last, bringing relief, reunion, and a renewed sense that the hidden secret is drawing closer. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.